Easter is upon us and the dates coincide

My mother died in 2002 on Maudy Thursday. I did not get to see her before she died, being busy with work and making a decision based on the information I was given, for it was the last day of term, and with that came consequences for taking it off. I have over the years had times of feeling guilt and times of regret, alongside the times of grief. Yet, when we make these decisions we make them with the best information we know at the time, and have to accept them.
My brother is the one who confirmed for me what I had felt, that the days of Easter this year coincided with the days that Easter when Mum died. So Easter Saturday was the day of her funeral, we had the blessing of a friend of mine carrying out the service, and a friend of my brother in law being an undertaker. As she had died in hospital there was no need for a coroners court hearing and so no delay required. A private ceremony, with some moments of inadvertent humour was had, she wanted a private ceremony. Some of her friends were hurt by the fact that she had not wanted them to farewell her, but when her ashes were put in the ground at the memorial garden at the church she was attending, they got to join us there. It was lovely to see how they wanted to say farewell.
Who then are the funerals for - the person who has died or the living?  I think they are for the living to give them time to say farewell and to comfort each other. Many different stories of the person can come out during the time spent talking outside the funeral, because each persons experience of another if different.
What has it been like, 11 years later to have the dates come around. Interesting. Time has moved on, and my memory of my mother has faded a bit. I remember a woman who loved to laugh, and who was talented in cooking and sewing, but would never or rarely finish a knitting project. I remember a woman who loved reading and who could budget really well. An elegant woman who provided me with love, and who was proud that all three of her children went to uni, and glad that one followed her interest in science. A woman who had back problems, but whose vivacity added to the life of parties, and to the group of friends she had.